Under any
system of judicial selection, it takes some effort to get to know a judicial
candidate. This is true whether the judge is running for election or standing
for retention by the voters. In the retention election, The Missouri Bar for
years has attempted to fill this information gap by surveying lawyers who appear
before the judges who are on the ballot. The judges are rated on a number of
factors – including knowledge of the law, courtesy and judicial temperament –
and the results of the survey are publicized widely.
